Damage, some injuries as earthquake jolts Malaysia’s Borneo

KUALA LUMPUR: A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Malaysia’s Mount Kinabalu on Borneo Friday, cracking roads and buildings in the region and injuring climbers on the popular peak, officials and media reports said.

State officials were quoted by the New Straits Times saying at least four climbers had suffered injuries including broken bones and head wounds as the quake loosened stones and boulders on the 4,095-metre (13,435-foot) mountain’s wide granite summit.

The force of the tremor was so strong that it snapped off one of the two “Donkey’s Ear” rock outcroppings that form a distinctive part of the peak’s craggy profile, sending it crashing into a gully, tourism minister for Sabah state Masidi Manjun said on his Twitter feed.

“Bad news confirmed! Part of the iconic ‘Donkey’s Ear’ @Mount Kinabalu is gone due to strong tremor this morning,” he said.

All climbing activities have been halted until further notice.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at around 7:15 am (2315 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre located about 54 kilometres (34 miles) east of Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah.

No tsunami warning was issued, and there were no initial reports of major damage.

Colin Forsythe, a resident of Kota Kinabalu, said the quake lasted around 15 seconds and felt “as if a truck had crashed into a brick wall.”

Local media reports said residents throughout the quake-affected region fled in panic from homes and buildings, including Kota Kinabalu’s International Airport.